Belgian separatists in Flanders and Wallonia would like to see a divided Belgium. It's been three months since an election and a national government has yet to be formed. 73-year-old King Albert II has tried four times to pull together a government, with no success. Each side hardly speaks to the other and almost exhibits an outright hatred for the other. Earlier this week, a Belgian placed his country up for sale on eBay. The New York Times has the latest report on Belgium's turmoil.
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The divisiveness in Belgium has been reflected in the city of Louvain/Leuven for a long period of time. I was at the American College in the Summer of 1982, and it seemed then that there were two universities: The University of Louvain (old site) and the University of Leuven (new site).
Maybe I’m focusing on the wrong thing here… but shouldn’t the quote be “Something is rotten in the state of…” ?
To comment on this , as a Belgian .
Every country has their own extremist all kinds . We indeed have seperatist here who would love to see the country split up , but far more , we have people who think belgium is already small enough . There is no hatred between south & north . You don’t feel ‘a stranger’ if you are in wallonia as a flemish person , or vica versa .
The politics DO talk with each other , but all the parties want to have their ‘say’ in the game .
To be short , gouvernment in belgium is like this :
We have 5 gouvernments , A flemish one , a wallonian , one for brussel (yes , the city & the small places around it ) , and one for the eastborders , who speak german , AND a federal belgian gouvernment
Now they have to change to belgian constitution , and every gouvernment is just affraid that they are going to get less as they used too .
Maybe you see now why it is so difficult here . Like for example , if there is a ecological problem concerning entire belgium , that means 5 ministers of ecologi have to come togheter and make an arrangment …